At Business Roundtable, our member CEOs are deeply concerned about the effects of high energy prices on our competiveness in the international economy and the home economies of the millions of individuals that drive U.S. prosperity. In fact, energy costs were recently ranked among the top cost pressures facing our members. We believe America’s citizens, communities and companies need – and deserve – an energy policy that is bipartisan, immediate and long-term in order to enhance our energy security and ensure economic prosperity.
In our energy report, More Diverse, More Domestic, More Efficient, we emphasized the need for balanced, long-term energy strategies to achieve alignment between supply and demand while increasing our national energy security. Throughout the past few months, we’ve been encouraged by recent examples of bipartisan cooperation. One example was the Gang of 10 and its proposal to expand Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) exploration while increasing investments for alternative sources of energy. Another encouraging sign was House passage of legislation aimed at partially lifting the ban on tapping our offshore resources.